Sprinkler system.



J.YT. OBRiEN & W. G. SARGENT.

sPmNKLER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8. 1915.

1,191,340. Patented muy 18,1916.

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JOHN T. OBRIEN AND WELLINGTON Gr. SARGENT, 0F GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

SPRINKLER SYSTEM.

v Specification of Letters Patent. Iatgllted July 18, 1916.

Application filed March 8, 1915. Serial No. 13,810.

To all 'whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that we, 4JOHN T. OBRIEN and WELLINGTON G. SARGENT, citizens of the rUnited States, residing at Grand Rapids, in

the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements'in Sprinkler Systems, of which the following is 'a specification.

Our invention relatesl toV improvements in automaticv sprinkler systems, and its objects are: First, to provide a valve for use in sprinkler systems that will allow of the full, free flow of water through the supply pipe with a single movement of the valve. Second, to provide a means whereby a fraction of a revolution of the valve shaft will completely open or close the'valve. Third, to provide a valve that cannot be permanently closed when the system is in normal condition with the water in the supply pipe under pressure. whereby the closing of the main vvalve will drain the supply pipe. We attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a connecting length in the supply pipe including a valve housing to one side thereof; Fig. 2 is a like View of the main valve housing with the main valve open and the pipe to the drain valve closed; Fig. 3 is a plan of a section of the supply pipe with the drain valve and the main valve housing shown in their proper positions with 'the supply pipe; Fig. 4 shows a short piece of the supply pipe with the drain valve housing connected therewith by a separate piece of pipe screwed into both in the usual manner of connecting separate pipes in similar constructions; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the main valve; Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the body, and an edge elevation of the valve; Fig. 7 is a face view of the main valve showing the relative position of its auxiliary valve; Fig. 8 is a back view of the same with the body cut off on the line .fr m of Figs. 5 and 6; Fig. 9 is across section of the drain valve housing to the right of the line y g/ of Fig. l; Fig. 10 a plan of the shaft upon which the main valve is mounted and operated.

Fourth, to provide a means.

. Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views. I Y

The main valve 17 of this device is housed in a chamber 15 and secured in such a manner that the turning of the shaft 21 atrifle over one fourth of a revolution will open or close the main valve. When the valve 17 is closed its mounting on the seat '16 in the barrel l5 will forma water tight seating so no pressure can be transmitted from the supply pipe 32 to the supply pipe 29, hence the pressure in the barrel 15-'15 will gradually become greater than the pressure in the barrel 1 and the relatively left hand end of the valve barrel'2'and the passage of water from the barrel 15-15 will be forced through the pipe 30 to finally overcome the pressure on the yvalve 10 to such an extent that the valve 8 will be closed and the valve 10 opened, thus .shutting oft1 the flow of water from -the barrel 15-15 through the pipe 30and the outlet 14: to the sewer, and the water in the main system pipes 29 and 33 will'flow out through the pipe 3 and 3 to and through valve opening -13 through the opening 14 and to the sewer until all pressurevis removed from these pipes'andrepairs 'may be readily made. On the other hand, if the valve 19 is opened it will allow the pressurel on both sides of said valve to equalizeso there will be little difliculty in throwing the-valve wide'open with the lever 35. The automatic opening and closing of the valvesv8 and l0v is particularly desirable after water has flowed 'through vthe spraying system until it is desired to shut off the flow when the closing 0f the gate or 4valve 17 `will'allow the pressure to be practically wholly removed from the pipes 29 and 33 so the pressure against the valve. 8 will, without difliculty, open the 'valve 10 for the full free drainage of the valve housing or barrel 15-15, as indicated in Figs. 3, 5 and 8, then a square portion c that registers with a corresponding hole through the hinge 20 on the small valve 19, to which said small valve is connected by the arm 20, then a round portion (Z that is designed as a bearing for the other side 21 of the hinge on the main valve, and for a supporting` bearing in the wall of the valve housing, in the usual manner. It will be lreadily seen that with this construction the turning of the shaft 21 does not act directly on the main valve 17, but the first short distance that it is turned simply opens the valve 19 so water may flow freely through the port 18, and from there on to the quarter turn of the shaft, or, perhaps, a little over a quarter turn or revolution, the back of the valve 19 engages the projections 24 on the web 23 in the body of the valve, and thus draws the main valve open.

l/Vhen the main valve is fully opened the bearing 28', at the end 28 of the body 22 of lthe valve is so firmly seated on the packing 27, that water cannot pass through the opening 25 and the pipe 30 into the end 6 of the valve barrel 2, hence the pressure of water flowing through or into the pipe 29 will force the valve 10 upon its seat 11 and open the valve 8 so water cannot flow through the port 13 to the sewer, but what water may be left in the pipe 30 must flow through the ports 12 and 14 to the sewer, thus automatically draining both the supply pipe and the drain pipe by the proper manipulation of the valve 17. It will be readily understood, from this description, that when the valve 17 is open, and the pipes 29, 32 and 33 are filled with water under pressure it will be impossible for the valve 17 to shut up automatically, no matter how much water is being sprayed from the main pipes.

In Fig. 4 we have shown the main supply pipe, 29', fitted for connection with the valve barrel 2 by means of a detachable connecting pipe 3. The object of this is to supply a drain valve and barrel that may be readily applied to any sprinkling system wvithout the necessity of cutting the supply pipes and inserting a drain valve holder.

To avert the danger of water leaking out around the shaft 21 we make use of astuH- ing box, 34, of the ordinary type, but as this is common property and not claimed as any part of our invention except as a necessary element to make the device successful, we will not enter into a detailed description or delineation of the same.

Ve form a central support for the valve stem 9, as indicated by the hole 5 in the cross'brace 3G vin Fig. 9. 7 represents a branch pipe designed to lead to some available form of alarm mechanism, as 31, to warn the operator of undesired leakage of water through the pipe 30, as in case the main valve should, by some mischance, be close upon its seat 16 when the sprinkling system was in operation. 2, in Fig. 3, represents a plug screwed into the opening at the left hand end of the valve barrel to prevent the flow of water through said opening.

One of the most, if not the most desirable features in our invention lies in the fact that while it requires eight or ten full revolutions of an ordinary gate, or straight way valve sufficiently to open a passageway equal to the full capacity of the supply pipes, it requires but a little over a quarter of a revolution of our shaft to open or close the main valve 17, thus saving greatly in time, a very desirable saving in emergencies where quick action is absolutely necessary, This, in connection with the absolute impossibility of the main valve 17 closing when the system is in operation, and thus cutting off the necessary supply of water, renders the invention particularly desirable in automatic sprinkler systems. The periphery of the body 22 of the valve 17 is made upon the same radius from the center shaft 21 -as is the outer edge of the valve itself, for the purpose of insuring against the danger of the passage of obstacles back of the valve that might interfere with the easy, safe manipulation of the valve.

26 represents -a plug that is designed to close the opening in the valve case or housing 15 through which a tool may be passed for the purpose of finishing a valve seat at 27 to insure a perfectly safe water tight seating for the valve 28 at the end of the valve body 22.

Thus it will be understood from the foregoing description that when the valve 17 is open and its end 28 is seated on the seating at 27 the pressure in the pipes 32, 29 and 33 will be equal and the valve 10 will be seated so that all the water and pressure will be confined to said pipes, and no water can flow through the pipe 30, and the pressure upon the face of the valve 17 will positively prevent the valve from closing permanently, but as soon as the valve 17 is closed and pressure released from the pipes 29, 33, the excessive pressure of water flowing into and through the pipe 30 will close the valve 8 and open the valve 10 so that all water in the pipes 29-33 may be allowed to flow out into the sewer through the opening 14.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s:

1. In combination with the supply pipe of an automatic sprinkler system, a main valve housing connected at one side of the supply pipe, a shaft passing laterally through the housing adjacent to the supply pipe, a main valve mounted on said shaft to swing open entirely to one side of the supply pipe, a drain pipe connected at one end with the housing, means connected with the main valve for automatically closing the drain pipe at its point of communication with the housing when the main valve is opened, and means for automatically draining the supply pipe when the main valve is closed.

2. In combination with the supply pipe of an automatic sprinkler system, a main valve housing and main valve connected with the supply pipe, a shaft pivotally carrying said valve, an auxiliary valve pivotally connected with the main valve to open and close before the main valve opens and closes, a drain valve housing connected at one end with the supply pipe and having two inlet openings therein in a direct line, a pipe connecting the other end of the drain valve housing with the main valve housing, valves in the drain valve housing on opposite sides of the respective inlet openings and connected to act simultaneously to automatically operate the drain valves to open one valve and to close the other valve when pressure is changed from one end of the drain valve housing to the other end thereof, and means for cutting off the flow of water from the main valve housing through the pipe to the drain valve housing when the main valve is opened.

3. In combination with the supply pipe of an automatic sprinkler system, a main valve mounted on a shaft and adapted to be thrown directly across the opening in the supply pipe and to fully close the same by a fraction of a revolution of the shaft, a housing for said valve located at one side of the supply pipe, a drain valve housing connected at one end to the supply pipe, a drain pipe connecting the main valve housing with the other end of the drain valve housing, valves in the drain valve housing arranged to automatically open and close the inlet openings in the drain valve housing as Water under pressure is allowed to pass into one end, or the other end of the drain valve housing to drain water from the supply pipe beyond the main valve, or through the drain pipe from the main valve housing, as desired.

4. In combination with the supply pipe of an automatic sprinkler system, a main valve mounted on a shaft at one side of the supply pipe and adapted to be thrown directly across the opening of the supply pipe, a housing at one side of the supply pipe for the main valve, a drain valve housing connected at one end with the supply pipe be yond the main valve, a drain pipe connecting the main valve housing with the other end of the drain valve housing, the drain valve housing having two inlet openings and an outlet opening between the inlet openings, valves in the drain valve housing on opposite sides of the respective inlet openings and connected to automatically open and close as pressure is passed into one end, or the other end of the drain valve housing to drain either the supply pipe beyond the main valve, or the main valve housing, as desired.l

5. In combination with the supply pipe of anV automatic sprinkler system, a main valve housing at one sideof the supply pipe, a shaft through said housing adjacent to the supply pipe, a valve mounted on said shaft and adapted to be thrown upon its seat directly across the opening of the supply pipe, and to be opened or closed by a fraction of a revolution of the shaft, a drain valve housing beyond the main valve and having an inlet opening at each end and an outlet opening between the inlet openings, one of the inlet openings communicating with the supply pipe, a drain pipe connecting the main valve housing with the other inlet opening of the drain valve housing, valves vin the drain valve housing arranged to automatically open and close, respectively, as pressure of water is shifted in the supply pipe to act alternately in one end and then in the other end of the drain valve housing.

6. In combination with the supply pipe in an automatic sprinkler system, a main valve housing connected in the line, and to one side of the supply pipe, a drain pipe connected with the valve housing and with the supply pipe, and means connected therewith for automatically controlling the draining of that portion of the drain pipe connected with the main valve housing, or the supply pipe beyond the main valve housing, a shaft mounted in the housing at one side of the supply pipe, a main valve mounted on said shaft in position to be made to engage a valve seat in the supply pipe and to be fully opened and closed. by a quarter revolution of the shaft, and a valve connected with the main valve in position to close the drain pipe at its point of communication with the housing when the main valve is opened.

7. In combination with the supply pipe in an automatic sprinkler system, a main valve housing connected at one side of the supply pipe, a main valve mounted in said housing and having a central opening therethrough, a shaft through said housing and pivotally supporting the main valve so that a fraction of a revolution of the shaft will fully open or vclose the main valve, an auX- iliary valve mounted on the said shaft in position to open or close the opening through the main valve, means connected with the main valve for stopping the auxiliary valve when it is opened to a given position, a

drain valve housing connected at one end to one side of the supply pipe beyond the main Valve housing, a drain pipe connected at one end with the main valve housing, and connected at the other end with the other end of the drain valve housing, Valves in the drain valve housing adapted to be operated automatically by pressure passed vinto one end or the other end of the drain valve housing for effecting the drainage of the supply pipe beyond the main Valve housing, or

through the drain pipe from the main valve housing, and an alarm connected With the drain valve housing.

Signed at Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1b March 4L, 1915.

JOHN T. OBRIEN. WELLINGTON G. SARGENT.

In presence of- I. J. CILLEY, P. L. ADAMS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 1). C. 

